Teens face court for police chase

Three of the joy-riders caught at Alligator Creek are (from left) Terrance George, Brendan Jerome and Barry Turbane.Daily Mercury

TWO young men were limping and wearing bandages, believed to be covering police dog bites, when they faced the Mackay Magistrate's Court yesterday on charges arising from a 950km joy-ride.

There were four people in a car, which was stolen from the Brisbane suburb of Calamvale and which was driven 950km north to Sarina before being stopped by police.

Along the way, $70 worth of petrol was stolen from a service station at Maryborough about 10.30pm on Monday.

The car was sighted north of Rockhampton at Marlborough about 7am on Tuesday and a police chase ended near Sarina when the vehicle crashed.

The four men were heading to Townsville to visit one of their relatives.

Prosecutor Constable Janelle Young told the court yesterday that the stolen car went at speeds of up to 150kmh, overtook a truck on double lines, and also sped through two areas of major roadworks putting the safety of other drivers and traffic controllers at risk.

The car driver avoided road spikes but crashed into bush at Alligator Creek.

One man was caught immediately but three of them fled into bushland and mangroves and were caught after staff from the Daily Mercury spotted them and notified police.

The car driver, Brendan Jerome, 17, of Brisbane, pleaded guilty to five charges, including two of dangerous driving, and was jailed for nine months, to be served in the community as an intensive corrections order.

The three passengers were Terrance George, 17, of Brighton, Barry Turbane, 18, of Brisbane, and Dion Want, 17, of Zillmere, who all pleaded guilty to unlawfully using a motor vehicle, stealing petrol and obstructing police.

Turbane was jailed for one month.

George was placed on probation and must do some unpaid community service.